MANILA: The bureau of Customs (BoC) has set a three-month trial period for shifting to an electronic system of filing export declarations.
Customs Memorandum Order 39-2015 outlines a pilot testing regime for the online application and issuance of certificates of origin for exporters as part of the country’s commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Single Window in easing regional trade.
The test will allow the bureau to review its procedures for the online filing and issuance of Form D of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, which Customs officials plan to roll out.
The Form D system is accepted in all ports of the ASEAN member states, which serves to trim import duties under the region’s preferential tariff treatment and to fast-track cargo processing across the region.
The system will be first tried out at the Port of Manila, the Manila International Container Port, the Port of Cebu, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
“Once fully implemented, Philippine exporters will extensively benefit from the ease and facility in the processing of COs for their exports and the reduced transaction costs arising from paperless processing,” BoC Deputy Commissioner Agaton T. Uvero said in a statement.
Along with Form D, importers must also submit scanned copies of its ruling on the Country of Origin, export declaration, commercial invoice, and airway bill.
The shift to the electronic filing forms part of the bureau’s long-term goal of going paperless and migrating its processes to a digital platform for easier trade facilitation and data-sharing across ASEAN.
